The John Day River originates in the mountains of Grant and Harney counties. The various branches join to form the third longest free-flowing (no dams) river in the United States. It eventually flows into the Columbia.
The river was named for John Day, a trapper who was a member of the Pacific Fur Company's overland expedition to the mouth of the Columbia River in 1810.
John Day hailed from the same part of Kentucky as Daniel Boone, and he was an equally hearty soul. So much so that historic reports note his death at least four times. It's fairly agreed upon that he actually died in 1819 or 1820. His story is a fascinating one, and here are a couple of versions.... Wikipedia and the City of John Day website.
That leaves only the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument to explain. The John Day River flows right down the middle of the canyon where the visitor center and the majority of the fossil finds are located, so it's an obvious choice for the name of the monument. The visitor center is great, and a super place to take kids as the displays are very kid friendly and thoroughly explain about the fossils and the animals that lived eons ago. The scenery is fascinating, and makes for great photographs, but go early or late in the day for the best shadows and cooler temperatures.
It's a great place to settle while you are investigating some of the John Day related areas. The park doesn't take reservations, so arriving early in the day is recommended. Just a few miles west of the town of John Day, the park is probably the most spacious and beautiful of any we have visited. Our site, #13, was on a curve, so we had an exceptionally large area to call our own, but all the sites are far more spacious than usual.
So who was Clyde Holiday? and why is the park named after him?
Clyde Holliday was a hard working logger of the old style. He and his wife married when they were 17 and 16, and soon moved from Arizona to Oregon. After a time they shifted from logging to cattle ranching., The Hollidays ranched for many years, and in their later years gifted and sold various parcels of their land to the state. The final combined area totals 20 acres and is now the Clyde Holliday State Recreation Site.
There's a fascinating biography of of Clyde Holliday here. There's another version here. He passed away in 2008. Clyde's wife, Earlene Holliday, died in 2016, at the age of 90, and her story reads like a historic novel. I suspect many young people today would never believe someone would work so hard, and love any minute of it.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Clyde Holliday State Park. It's like an oasis in the middle of the autumn gold of golden hills. Hedges of spring flowering shrubs mark the sides of the sites, and as they have access to river water there are sprinklers going somewhere all the time.In the heat of summer all the lush green is especially welcome, but do be prepared for a few mosquitoes.
The John Day River runs along side the park, offering not only the relaxing sound of gentle riffles, but beautiful reflections of the riverbanks and the beautiful clouds that build up most afternoons.
We had a brief thunderstorm one afternoon, brought on, I'm quite sure, by the fact that I had just gotten my sewing machine set up on the picnic table and had settled down to work on my current project.
The park is so thoroughly groomed you'd think you were in a city park. The trail along the river is packed, flat gravel. It's pretty accessible for most anyone, and there are benches and picnic tables placed strategically along the trail so anyone who needs to rest often has the opportunity.
There's also an ADA fishing platform at the little fishing pond, which is a nice walk away from the campground.
We took the trail often to get the dogs their exercise, and took the opportunity each time to check on the osprey mother and baby that reside near the fishing pond.
Osprey are funny birds, nesting so high up, fully exposed to the elements, and keeping their young in the nest until they are nearly as large as their parents. This young one did flap his wings a few times, but he seemed a long way from taking flight.
The park has several unexpected amenities, among them are the two teepees available for rent.
These can be reserved online at the park's Reserve America site. They are side by side, with each lot separated by a pole fence. The realistically constructed teepees are positioned right on the bank of the river, where you can hear the water flow by and the bullfrogs sing. What fun this would be for a family with kids!
More photos of Clyde Holliday are here
The town of John Day is just a few miles east. One of the highlights of the town is the Kam Wah Chung State Historic Site. The visitor center and historic building are a short distance apart in the park, which is right in the middle of the city of John Day. This site provides visitors with the very human side of a brief era in western history that few are aware of. The large numbers of Chinese who emigrated to America for work in the mines, on the railroad and in the logging camps helped to build the west. Most returned home after a time, but a few stayed and became permanent members of the community. Such was the case with Ing Hay and Lung On, who built a thriving business that became an integral part of the community. Their shop has been preserved and free tickets for the tour can be picked up at the interpretive center. Kam Wah Chung is such a fascinating story that OPB created a program about it.
A bit further east is the town of Prairie City. The folks there are doing a great job of spicing up main street with western style shops and restaurants. They have a quilt shop too - I stopped in but came away empty handed this time!
There are several places around Grant County that are worth a day trip, and this park makes a great home base. Follow the link to the Grant County Chamber of Commerce for more ideas.
Now, we're on to La Grande!
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